Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe Mobilizes to Respond to Oil Spill Disaster of 2010

Oil at Lac Chien on May 23, 2010

Tribal Members reported oil on the lake to USCG, copyright PACIT 2010

Oil Invades the Tribal Community

On Sunday, May 23, 2010, Tribal Members reported oil in Lake Chien. Tribal members have been working
to protect our tribal fisheries, our tribal homelands, and our sacred sites. We are not sitting by idly, but are taking
active measures to try to protect our homeland. We are concerned about the upcoming hurricane season. Because
we are not federally recognized, our efforts are impeded, but the government can fix this by bestowing federal recognition
on the Tribe, which would allow for more direct assistance to the tribe in clean up and assessment measures.

Historically, the Tribe was a hunting, fishing, agricultural, and cattle community. Today, the Tribe
relies primarily on fishing due to the devestation of the land by oil companies, lack of protection of the barrier
islands, and the lack of fresh water replishment which has resulted in salt water intrusion and the devestation of the land.
But now, even the fishing lifestyle is threatened. The Tribe is concerned as to the future impacts, but we are
doing our best to try to protect what we have left.

As of May 29, 2010--THE SHRIMPING SEASON HAS CLOSED so fishermen are now out of work. A sheen of oil was spotted
below Felicity Island on May 29, 2010. (Lac Felicite and Felicity Island are named after Felicite Billiot, Alexander
Billiot's sister. She was interviewed by Swanton in the early 1900s when he visited Pointe-au-Chien).

On June 19, the Shrimping Season reopened in the Cut-Off Canal. Shrimpers who have contracted their boat(s) with
BP for oil spill prevention and clean up, however, cannot use the same boats to shirimp, crab, or fish.

As of August 17, the shrimping season has reopened in the inner bayous. Not many fishermen have returned to fishing. There
has been oil spotted below Pointe-au-Chien, and there has been no testing by the EPA as to the whether there are dispersants
in the water. There have also been reports of dead seagulls south of Pointe-au-Chien, some of which had no oiling.

Concerns of PACIT:

Protect Village, Sacred Sites, Fishing Grounds, and Cultural Sites.

Plan needed for evacuation and relocation to keep tribal members together in the event of flooding--even with a tropical
depression--for an unknown period of time.

Workforce training and development in the event the oil spill contaminates fisheries for an extended period of time.

Build tribal center to be used for relief and recovery efforts.

Health issues associated with change in diet and stress from oil spill.

Houses that haven't been elevated are at risk for condemnation if oil enters the community.